Revealed here are the Eagle, Omega, Triffid, and Lagoon Nebulae, imaged by NASAs infrared Spitzer Space Telescope. These nebulae are part of a structure within the Milky Ways Sagittarius Arm that is poking out from the arm at a remarkable angle. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech
: star-forming cloud of gas and dust.
These four nebulae are understood for their breathtaking appeal: the Eagle Nebula (which consists of the Pillars of Creation), the Omega Nebula, the Trifid Nebula, and the Lagoon Nebula. In the 1950s, a team of astronomers made rough range measurements to a few of the stars in these nebulae and were able to infer the existence of the Sagittarius Arm. Their work offered some of the very first proof of our galaxys spiral structure. In a brand-new study, astronomers have revealed that these nebulae are part of a base within the arm that is angled in a different way from the rest of the arm.
An essential home of spiral arms is how securely they wind around a galaxy. A lot of designs of the Milky Way recommend that the Sagittarius Arm forms a spiral that has a pitch angle of about 12 degrees, however the extending structure has a pitch angle of nearly 60 degrees.
Similar structures– often called stimulates or feathers– are typically discovered jutting out of the arms of other spiral galaxies. For decades researchers have actually wondered whether our Milky Ways spiral arms are likewise dotted with these structures or if they are fairly smooth.
By NASA
December 29, 2021
These nebulae are part of a structure within the Milky Ways Sagittarius Arm that is poking out from the arm at a significant angle. These 4 nebulae are known for their spectacular charm: the Eagle Nebula (which includes the Pillars of Creation), the Omega Nebula, the Trifid Nebula, and the Lagoon Nebula. In a new study, astronomers have shown that these nebulae are part of a base within the arm that is angled differently from the rest of the arm.